Reducing Risks of Car Accidents: Teens Targeted with Stickers

Car accidents are the number one cause of death for teenagers in the United States. Officials in each state push a Graduated Driver’s Licensing (GDL) program to help to mold these youngsters into safe and responsible drivers.

Well, the state of New Jersey is taking it one step further. Lawmakers have decided to require newly-licensed drivers to display a red sticker on the license plate of their vehicle. State lawmakers say it is going to help police officers to keep a closer eye on these young drivers. Parents are saying that it’s going to make these youngsters a moving target for predators.
It’s all a part of “Kyleigh’s Law.” This was a law named after 16-year-old Kyleigh D’Alessio. She was killed in a car accident with another teenage driver. The other driver involved was speeding and violated the state’s GDL program by having too many young passengers in the vehicle. Officials think that the stickers are going to help officers enforce the rules of probationary licenses.

Our Charlotte car accident lawyers understand that teens in the state have a strict GDL program to follow. They’re required to have learner’s permit for a year, in which time they’re required to complete 60 hours of supervised driving time. Once they complete this stage and move on to their intermediate driver’s license, they’re prohibited from driving from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. They’re also prohibited from having more than 1 passenger younger than the age of 21 in their vehicle. If a family member younger than 21 is already a passenger then no other passengers younger than 21 who are not family members, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

“When you have one extra friend in the car there’s a 50 percent chance of that person getting into an accident,” D’Alessio’s mother said.

Many teens and parents have chosen not to keep these stickers on their vehicles however. Some say they don’t want to be profiled. Others say they worry of predators.

Not having the decal is not a moving violation. Teens face a $100 fine.

Teens in North Carolina may not be required to point themselves out on our roadways, but they are required to follow all of our road laws, including the laws of the GDL program. Parents are asked to talk with the young driver in their family to not only get them familiar with these laws, but to make sure they’re being followed. Consider enacting your own driving laws within your household. Make sure you and your teen are clear of the consequences of breaking these home driving rules. Talk with them about the importance of safe driving habits and the dangers, risks and consequences of dangerous ones.

You might think your message is falling on deaf ears, but you’d be surprised. Parents are some of the most influential people in a teen’s life.If you have been injured in an accident, contact the injury attorneys at the Lee Law Offices, P.A. for a free and confidential consultation. Call 1-800-887-1965.
More Blog Entries: